Firm aims to calm concerns as coach sector starts road
SINCE mid-March fleets of coaches have been parked up across Wales unable to operate.
In June, Transport Network reported that more than 500 coach travel operators had written to the Chancellor to warn that without urgent support many of their businesses would go under as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The letter, which was co-ordinated by industry body the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), warns that “thousands of family businesses are at risk because, despite mothballing coaches and furloughing staff, coach operators are still facing costs of on average £1,900 per day with no income or support from the government”.
On Friday the Welsh Government announced an emergency scheme providing financial support to bus operators affected by the pandemic in return for “greater public control over our buses”, but this doesn’t apply to coach firms that largely or exclusively rely on private business and which have seen their trade simply disappear.
Now travel is gradually starting to return, new measures on coaches are in place to combat the coronavirus.
Travelling by coach now means reduced vehicle capacity, temperature screening, additional UV filters in air conditioning systems, and use of aerosol-based disinfection – also known as “fogging”.
The question is whether the coach industry can survive when capacity is dramatically reduced and costs are likely to increase.
Well-known firm Edwards Coaches offers everything from coach tours to flight and cruise holidays in the UK and worldwide.
The company also provides a “first class” National Express service out of Cardiff and Llantrisant.
The firm opened back up for business a week ago with new safety and social distancing measures in place.
Since March, out of 310 coaches usually working 24/7 only three have been on the road, taking NHS staff free of charge to and